Push brooms have long been used as an effective cleaning tool. The standard push broom consists of a separable elongated handle end and a brush or cleaning head. Usually the brush head is made up of bristles and a rigid bristle supporting base, often made of wood, plastic, light metal, or other hard material. The base routinely has two centrally located holes in its upper surface for receiving the handle. One hole is located on one side of the head and the second hole is located on the other side of the head. This allows the handle to be switched from one hole to the other, when the bristles become worn in one pushing direction. The holes are threaded to allow engagement with the end of the handle which has corresponding threads. The handle is easily screwed into the base in the cleaning use mode of the broom.
However, while this handle attachment arrangement provides a functional broom, several inherent problems are present. During the use of the broom, the threaded attachment between the handle and head routinely loosens, resulting in the need to stop sweeping and tighten or, if the head comes completely off, to reattach the handle and head. Additionally, the handle is sometimes caused to break near the head while sweeping, especially when the bristles are pushed against heavy material or debris. An elongated handle attached solely by threaded connection to the head presents broom instability, which increases the required sweeping effort and also tends to lead to handle breakage.
Attempts have been made in the past to address these problems and situations by means of a number of different handle to head attachments, brackets, and other configurations. Examples of these are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,015,263, 1,785,564, 1,983,923, 4,541,139, 5,172,447, 5,337,440, and 5,371,916. However, these prior attachments are impractical or not readily adaptable to modern push brooms ('263), will not solve the stability or breakage problem ('923), are cumbersome or have too many parts for practical push broom use ('139, '441), or are impractical for non-commercial purposes ('440). Over and above this, none of the prior art discloses or teaches the unique features and results of the handle locking bracket of the present invention.
The locking bracket of the present invention addresses another problem inherent with commercial push broom distribution and sale. Distribution and transport of push brooms, if forwarded from the manufacturer to wholesalers, retailers, and vendors already connected in the cleaning mode, i.e. with the handle secured to the threaded hole in the head, results in a cumbersome, awkward and difficult situation. Shipping brooms in this fashion also takes up valuable cargo and container space. Displaying assembled push brooms for retail merchandising and sale presents the same handling and spatial problems.
Push broom manufacturers have attempted to address these problems by shipping their brooms with the handles and heads separated and attached side by side. Handles and heads are attached with their respective longitudinal axii in parallel relationship. While this has, to a large extent, solved the handling and spatial problems, actually attaching the handles and heads so that they remain secured during transport and shipment and then during the merchandising and display process continues to be a problem. Handles and heads routinely become separated between the time of shipment from manufacturer to the ultimate sale to the consumer. This causes inconvenience and inefficiency during transport, results in debris and waste from separated broom components and wrappers, leads to actual loss of components, and presents unattractive merchandising displays - all resulting in a general and substantial loss of sales.
In the past, manufacturers have attempted to attach push broom head and handles by means of string or twine, twist ties, and a variety of plastic and metal clips. One such spring clip type device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,829. However, none of the prior broom handle to head attaching means have provided a system to guarantee an effective, practical, and economical system to allow for the transport and merchandising of a push broom without handle to head separation. And no prior systems disclose the unique features and results of the dual function handle locking bracket of the present invention.